Transport technology and services company Eroad has opened its first US office in Portland, Oregon, and appointed five Portland-based staff.

The company’s launch of its commercial service in Oregon follows a favourable audit of its solution by the Oregon State Government.

“From the beginning, we had an aim to become a global GNSS tolling provider and it’s very exciting to have reached that goal in North America,” Eroad CEO, Steven Newman, said. “Launching the Eroad solution in the US is a huge milestone for us, and we’re delighted to be doing it with such a great team.”

Eroad chose Oregon as its first US market because the state has a road charging system that is similar to New Zealand’s. The company undertook a commercial pilot in October 2012 and a regulatory pilot in 2013.

Following the regulatory pilot, an independent review and audit by the Oregon Secretary of State Audits Division concluded that the Eroad solution reduces the burden of record-keeping by helping motor carriers prepare and submit weight-mile tax reports.

According to the company, a number of the customers that took part in the pilots are now Eroad customers in Oregon.

The company has three sales staff and two administration and customer support staff based in its Portland office.

Copyright 2016 IDG Communications. ABN 14 001 592 650. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of IDG Communications is prohibited.